CORBY JONES MISSOURI'S RUN-FIRST, PASS-LATER QUARTERBACK

Corby Jones's most impressive scramble this season came in thedays before Missouri's opening game. While laid out in theTigers' training room, he was blindsided by coach Larry Smith."Hey, Jones!" Smith snarled. "You parked in my space!"

"I'm just getting treatment," Jones said.

"You may be getting treatment and you may be the startingquarterback," Smith said, "but I'm the head coach and I justasked a policeman to tow your car."

Jones, a junior, bounded to his feet and bolted out the door.The prankish Smith laughed uproariously. "I've only seen Corbyrun quicker once," he says, "and that was when he ran the optionfor 80 yards last season against Kansas."

Last Saturday against Colorado the 6'1", 227-pound Jonestrafficked in more options than a commodities broker. He wheeledfor 74 yards on the ground and dealed for another 164 in the airto lead the Tigers to a 41-31 victory, their first over theBuffaloes since 1984. The win raised Mizzou's record to 6-3,guaranteeing the Tigers their first winning season since'83--which was also the last time they went to a bowl.

Jones, who ranks first in total offense in the Big 12, has beenknown as the "option quarterback" since enrolling at Missouritwo years ago. His father, Curtis, was a noseguard at Missouriin the late 1960s and an assistant coach there in the '70s. Herejoined the Tigers in '93 as tight ends coach, tutored therunning backs from 1994 to '96 and is now the defensive linecoach. Corby was all-state at Hickman High in Columbia andconsidered scholarship offers from Nebraska and Illinois, amongother schools, before picking the Tigers.

As a freshman Jones was assigned to the scout team, but hisredshirt was yanked after a 30-0 loss to Kansas State droppedthe Tigers to 2-3 that season. "We had three drop-backquarterbacks," Smith recalls, "and none were getting the jobdone. I decided it was time to go where our future was." Thefuture turned into the present for Jones, who saw action thefollowing week against Nebraska, the defending nationalchampion. "I was too young and too ignorant to be scared," saysJones. "I was just excited." So excited that his first pass, abomb down the middle, was intercepted. He didn't throw anotherone, and Nebraska won 57-0.

Despite starting all but one game during a 5-6 season in '97,Jones amassed fewer passing yards (624) than his backup, KentSkornia (701). "The platooning didn't help my self-confidencemuch," Jones says.

This season the Tigers are relying more on Jones's arm. He threwfor 220 yards in a 37-29 win over Texas on Oct. 18 and passedfor two touchdowns and ran for four in an Oct. 25double-overtime 51-50 victory over Oklahoma State. With twogames left he has rushed for a team-high 701 yards, which meanshe could become the first quarterback to lead Missouri inrushing since 1964. "I used to run to set up the pass," saysJones. "Now I pass to set up the run."